Halting an Epidemic
In 2003, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched Avahan – a 10 year initiative to support India’s efforts to reduce the spread of HIV. To date, the foundation has committed more than $330 million to Avahan.

Avahan – which means “call to action” in Sanskrit – has three primary objectives:

1. Build an HIV prevention model at scale in India
2. Catalyze others to take over and replicate the model
3. Foster and disseminate lessons learned within India and worldwide

To achieve these goals, Avahan seeks to expand HIV prevention programs in the six Indian states with the highest HIV prevalence, and along the nation’s major trucking routes. Avahan-supported prevention programs serve groups that are most vulnerable to HIV infection – including sex workers, their clients and partners; high-risk men who have sex with men, and injecting drug users.

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